Automatic railroad-signal.



Igxkgfang Patented Aug I9, I902 A. EMERSON &. A. S. HOVANDEB.

AUTOMATIC RAILROAD SIGNAL. (ApphcB-hon filed Jan. 22 1902 (No Model.)

| EYERS ca. wore-1.3mm. WASNINGTON. o. c.

ALBERT EMERSON AND AUGUST SVENSSON HOVANDER, OF WVILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC RAILROAD-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 707,405, dated August 19, 1902.

Application filed January 22, 1902. Serial No: 90,849. No model- To all, whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT EMERSON, a citizen of the United States, and AUGUST SVENSSON HOVANDER, a subject of the King of 5 Sweden and Norway, residing at Williamsport, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Automatic Railroad-Signal, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in automatic railway-signals.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of signals for railwaycrossings and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient one of great strength and durability adapted to be readily applied to a track and capable of being operated by the wheels of a train and of sounding an alarm for warning persons at a crossing of the approach of a train.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed 2 5 out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of a portion of an automatic railwaysignal constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional View illustrating the manner of mounting the operating-lever.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in both figures of the draw ings.

1 designates an upright operating-lever arranged at the inner side of a rail 2 and adapted to be operated by the wheels of-a train and provided at its upper end with "a small wheel 3, arranged adjacent to the head of the rail 40 2 and adapted to be operated or actuated by theflange of a car-wheel. The antifrictionwheel 3 is suitably journaled on the upper arm of the operating-lever, and the latter is preferably provided at its upper end with a horizontal portion reduced to form a journal for the reception ofthe antifriotion-wheel,

which may be secured on the journal in any suitable manner. The operating-lever is fulcrumed between. its ends on the bolt 4 or other suitable fastening device, which secures the lever to a rail-clamp, which is composed of inner and outer sections 5 and 6, conforming to the configuration of the bottom flanges and web of the rail and embracing the same, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Each section of the rail-clamp is composed of a horizontal bottom portion and an angular upper portion, and the lower portions of the sections extend beneath the rail and abut against each other, being secured together by bolts or rods 7. The upper portions of the sections of the clamp are approximately L-shaped in vertical section, being shaped approximately the same as an ordinary angle-iron fish-plate and conforming to the configuration of the bottom flange and web of the rail. The inner section of the clamp is provided at the center of its lower portion with an enlargement or boss having an aperture and forming a socket for the reception of the bolt 4, on which the operating lever is fulcruined. The lower arm of the operating-lever is curved, and it presents a convex face or edge 8 to an antifriction-wlieel 9 of a horizontal lever 10, fulorumed between its ends on a suitable pivot 11 and connected by a link 12 with a piston 13 of an air-pump 14. The end 15 of the horizontal lever is bent at right angles and is forked or bifurcated to receive the antifriction roller or Wheel 9; but any other anti- 8o friction device may be employed and the horizontal lever may be directly engaged by the operating-lever, if desired. The pivot or fulcrum 11 of the horizontal lever 10 may consist of abolt orany other suitable fastening device, and it is fixed to a plate 16, which is secured to a block 17 WVhen the operatinglever is engaged by the wheels of a train, it

is oscillated, and it actuates the horizontal lever, moving the same in one direction, and 0 the upright operating-leveris returned to its normal position after it has been engaged by a car-wheel by means of a spring 18,extending from the lower arm of the lever 1 to the adjacent cross-tie and adapted'to be compressed 5 when the lever is operated by a car-wheel. The coiled spring 18 will after being compressed expand and return the lever to an upright position; but any other form or an rangement of spring may be employed, if desired. The horizontal lever is connected at one of its arms with a coiled spring 19,

which is distended when the horizontal lever is actuated by the operating-lever and which is adapted to return the horizontal lever to its normal position and to move the piston .of the air-pump in one direction. The airpump may be constructed in any desired manner, and it is designed to be connected with a whistle or with any other form of signal for indicating the approach of a train, and as the wheels of a train pass over the operating-lever the piston of the air-pump will be reciprocated, and the operating mechanism may be located the desired distance from a crossing to afford ample time between the sounding of the whistle or other signal and the passage of the train over the crossing.

It will be seen that the automatic railwaysignal is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it is adapted to be readily applied to a track, and that it is capable of compressing air for operating whistles or other signals. It will also be apparent that the upright lever is adapted to swing backward away from the transverse lever 10 to permit the wheels of a train leaving the crossing to pass over it without operating the signal.

What we claim is- 1. An apparatus of the class described comprising an upright lever provided at its upper end with a roller or wheel, a spring connected with the lever, an air-pump, and a springactuated lever connected with the air-pump and provided with awheel arranged to be engaged by the upright lever, substantially as described.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprisingan upright lever designed to be arranged at theinnerside ofarailandfulcrumed between its ends and having a convex edge at its lower arm, an air-pump, and a springactuated lever connected with the air-pump and arranged to be engaged by the upright lever, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a clamp composed of inner and outer sections conforming to the configuration of the lower portion of a rail, an

upright lever fulcrumed between its ends on the clamp, a spring for actuating the lever in one direction, said lever being adapted to be moved in the opposite direction by the wheels of a train, a transverse lever having an antifriction device arranged to be engaged by the lower portion of the upright lever, and means for connecting the transverse lever with the device to be operated, substantially as described.

4c. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of an uprightlever fulcrumed between its ends and designed to be arranged at one side of a rail in position to be engaged by the wheels of a train, the lower portion of the upright lever being provided withacurved edge, a lever designed to be connected with the device to be operated and arranged at an angle to the upright lever and provided with an antifriction device to be engaged by the curved edge of the same, and a spring connected with the upright lever, substantially as described.

5. An apparatus of the class described comprising an upright lever designed to be located adjacent to a rail and fulcrumed between its ends, the upper arm of the lever being provided with a roller or wheel and the lower arm of the lever having a curved edge, a device designed to be connected with a signal and arranged to be engaged by the lower arm of the upright lever, the latter being also adapted to swing away from the said device, and a spring for holding the lower arm of the upright lever normally in engagement with the said device, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT EMERSON. AUGUST SVENSSON HOVANDER.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH BENSON, PETER AXEL COLE. 

